Those crazy young people. I wrote a Movie, Travel Bug. Finally you can read it, FREE!

 

I wrote a Movie! And now you can read it free. 

It's called Travel Bug. Based on my years working as a barman and backpacking in Europe. I was in my early twenties so it's also about the crazy things young people get up to.

I was living above the bar/restaurant, along with many of the staff. It was some of the best fun of my life. Not without it's many dramas as is prone to happen with young people. And young love.

When I returned to Australia, instead of going back to the country where I grew up, I moved to Sydney. Part of it is based on that time too. Some of the screenplay mirrors real life. As usual, it will be up to you to work out how much is real life. 

It was written when I was thirty-eight, fourteen years after the last of the events took place.

So here it is. 

Travel Bug

Download it HERE

Read at your own leisure. 83 pages.

For anyone who's been a backpacker. Anyone who's worked in hospitality. Anyone who's been in love. Anyone who's been young.

Note the two crazy dudes hanging out the right window.

I never really believed I would make this screenplay into a real feature film but I had made many short films and hoped I could get it into the right hands somewhere. 

Well, dreamin' big is free. Creating the work is hard but possible. Beyond that, well, it's a different ball game. My film career never really took off so this became the only full length film script I ever wrote. After this I began writing my first novel, the yet to be published children's fantasy, Borders of Bordavia. (I hope to publish it sometime, perhaps 2024/5).

I wrote other short film scripts which have never been made or released publicly but you can watch the films I did make HERE.

Sweet youth. How short it is.

A.J. Langford Books

Newly discovered - Behind the scenes - Born in a Storm.

    Joanna Hanley as Christine

 

  

Short film

Born in a Storm - 1994

I recently showed this film to a young friend. She found it a little confronting but thought it was good. (Trigger warning for sexual abuse-self harm).

This is the 2017 re-edit (only slight changes), with some different music/audio that is superior to the original. I was never happy with the original but the new edit and some distance has made me feel better about it.

You can watch it HERE along with some of my other short films.

Original VHS cover

Reflections - Behind the scenes

I had not seen this video for more than twenty years. Surviving copies are only on VHS. I found the original Betacam SP Master and had it transferred. The full video is 20mins but have decided to only make this 5 minute section public.

Still a good insight into the making of the film.

Hope you enjoy it. The film itself is further below. 

Watch

My old car 'converted' for this scene by Ron Sidebottom

Original film below.

https://vimeo.com/262698687

My YouTube Channel

Vimeo Showcase with most of my Short Films HERE

Born in a Storm

2018

2004 (re-edit 2011)

Reality Unfastened 1992

Wilderworld 1988

See you next week?

I hope so.

Peace

Anthony

Discovered after 20 years - Photos - 1995 Short Film

Hi,

What were you doing in 1994?

A group of twenty somethings and teenagers got together and shot this film in Oct/Nov '94. It was completed by June '95. 

Synopsis

A teenage girl living in a small country town, struggles to find meaning in her life. She has a difficult relationship with her mother and her best friend and soon becomes obsessed with the occult, until she meets a young man, who has his own secrets, who will have a huge impact on her life. 

(These first two photos are from the film. 

The one at the bottom is one of the 'lost').

In my twenties, I made a short film Toil On, Faint Not with a good friend, Peter Bruce, using a variety of formats. Betacam SP. Video 8. Super 8 film. 35mm stills. 90's style digital graphics/image manipulation. 

Recently, I discovered some old photos in a box, that I'd not seen for over twenty years. They're from behind the scenes. (some were taken by Paul Gale. Some by myself).

I decided to scan them and put them into a video. Here it is. The film itself is below that.

Watch HERE

All Short Films HERE

Jeremy and Andrea. Preparing for a scene. 

The Script can be seen on a clipboard. From memory, it was mostly handwritten.

A fresh look at a 1988 Short Film - Aussie Classic

New and Rare Images (set to cool music)

from a unique, heartfelt Aussie classic,

the 1988 short film Wilderworld.

(2020 edit)

To Our Brothers. Never Forgotten. 

To watch the original film, go to; 

https://anthonyjlangford.wixsite.com/wilderworld

More Short Films

M ISSED - A Short Film 14 years in the Making

A 7 year old girl waits to be collected after school. Nobody comes. What happened to them? What did she do next?

What happens to her?

Starring Tilly, in her first role.

(Film at bottom of this page)

Background; Why 14 years?

My Last short film, Irons, took many months to make, a huge amount of work, stress and five years worth of savings. I was hoping for some sort of career opportunity out of it. Had I been living in L.A., I might have had one. I was working in News at Channel 10. I showed someone in the Drama Department. Nothing happened. I applied for a bunch of Festivals. It got into two, one in South Africa. 

I was angry with Sydney Film Festival. I had made the film, hoping to get into it. I made the film shorter that it should have been to get into it. (Under 15mins). A mistake. It wanted to be longer. I've since re-edited parts of it (in 2011) but the original scenes are fixed and it's too late. 
They broke their own rules to screen Harvey Krumpet, an animation that had been doing well. That peed me off, so I wrote to the Entertainment section of the Daily Telegraph. They printed it. I got some satisfaction from that. Don't pick mine, that's fine but don't go changing your own rules to suit yourselves. 

Something that big, requires a lot of input. Literally 50-60 people worked on it. The bigger the project the harder it is to control, especially if most aren't getting paid. Inevitably, many compromises are made. I must bear the brunt of it though as I was ultimately the one in charge. I was happy with about 50%. Maybe 60% on a good day.

From there on, I decided to concentrate on writing, and began writing my first novel later that same year, 2004. I could create whatever I wanted, without budgetary constraints, and have total control over my universe. And to be honest, I found Directing extremely stressful. I enjoyed editing and the writing the most.

And so went the next dozen years. Many novels, stories and poetry were created. Something I returned to, in a way, as I began writing stories at ten.

I continued to make small videos in the way of Video Poetry and Music style videos and Family videos. And I had a daughter. All of that takes up your time. I had a job and was a step father too. God, no wonder I'm tired.

Come early 2018, I decided I wanted to make a little film. So small that I would make all of it myself and have total control. I did'nt want Irons to be my last film. And you know? I'm pretty happy with it. And I had an actor whom I could work with. That's always a positive. She did good. Especially as the film progresses. It was shot mostly in order.

Budget? Around $400, compared to $35,000 of Irons. I submitted it to a bunch of small Festivals, which is why I had to wait. Then I was concentrating on releasing my book, A Refugees Rage in 2019. It got into one Festival in LA.

And now it has life. Enjoy. Please share the video if you can. It's the 'Little film that could.'

Watch MISSED  on Vimeo.

MISSED Now on IMDB HERE - If you are able, a Rating would be awesome.

See IRONS and other Short Films Here.

U N T O L D - Short Film

Watch HERE

What the hell was all that about?

You tell me... 

More Short Films

My Books

'Untold' - The Short Film Shoot

'Untold' - The World Premiere May 25

Part 2 - Production, Process and Post

An unusual story, with unusual dialogue needed an unique approach. Initially I wanted to shoot it all in one take. It's been done of course, but back in 1997, it was still a fairly novel idea. I planned it out, with the intention of changing locations, across multiple suburbs. It was too ambitious.

I chose a simpler shoot, at several locations, with myself as director and cameraman. I had two production assistants help out with the sound, but with these 'no' budget affairs, everyone chips in.

Poster 4 of 5

Look it's no Magnolia, but it does contain its own style and has some really interesting concepts and challenging conversations. The Year 2000 was looming like a giant wave and it's felt here. One of the actors says to another, 'Beware the new century.'

Amongst it all, is a mini mystery. Can you work it out?

Poster 5 of 5

What happened to the actors?

Pre-Internet, well, the internet was barely being used then, so I lost contact with all of them. I moved overseas then returned to Melbourne, rather than Sydney.
I could probably track them down, (should the past be left where it is?) or perhaps they will find their way to the film, once it's online on May 25th.

The most important question is, with Political Correctness as a central theme, how relevant is it today? Did it foretell certain aspects of where attitudes were going? Was it a window into today?

Don't miss it!

My Short Films

'Untold' - The World Premiere - May 25

Looking for Love in All the Wrong Faces.

The 1997 'lost'* film, UNTOLD.

Coming to the public for the first time, on May 25th, 2019 

(The same day Star Wars was released in 1977).

Part 1- Premise and Political Correctness

Poster 1 of 5

When Political Correctness became a term in the nineties, it had already heralded in a new movement. A new way of thinking. A new way of behaving socially. As to how that translates today is up to you to decide for yourself, but in the nineties, it was the right thing and a necessary thing. Most people were open minded and accepting, (Sydney's Mardi Gras was already a hugely popular event) but some were still stuck in the past.

Political Correctness was a new and positive attitude. A way to be more inclusive of all peoples. In Australia, there wasn't the great influx of peoples from various countries and religions that we have now, so the early P.C. focus was not particularly race but Aboriginal and Gay acceptability.

Poster 2 of 5

Yet, even then, there was some people getting around it, manipulating it, saying one thing and feeling another. It did, and still does, cause a lot of confusion, argument and controversy.

Still in my 20's I wrote a wild and unorthodox script. It was to be a non-conventional story, so I gave it a non title; UNTOLD. It's basic premise is the confusion of relationships, especially in youth, with the added ingredient of Political Correctness to contend with. I'd argue it has had a big impact on relationships today, but perhaps love and dealings with others has always been difficult.

Poster 3 of 5

Coming in 2 weeks, 

Part 2 - UNTOLD, Production and Post, followed by the Premiere on May 25th. 

Next week,

A judicious piece of satire, The Brand New Victim Meter! A must for...  well, anyone who wants some serious attention. Don't miss it!

The King - He's about to get Medieval - A very short film

Watch at your own risk. It may change you forever! 

THE KING

During the post Christmas holidays, my 8 year old read a list of things to do when you're bored. So she wrote a play. We performed it for the neighbours. It was funny. So I decided to film it.

Filming is boring and after an hour my daughter was bored. But The King insisted we push on!

It took about four hours. My neighbour created the music for the opening and closing credits. 

It took me about a week or so to put it together. And now you're the lucky recipient! haha

We had a little premiere. Silly fun.  Hope you liked it.

The genuine short film I made with her early in 2018, MISSED, will be uploaded before the year is out. Plus an old short film I've never made publicly available before. UNTOLD. 

All coming soon. 

More of My Short Films

Coming in 2019

 Dissecting Political Correctness way ahead of its time...

First short film for 14 years

Who is this person? Where have they come from ...
and where will they go? Is it a book/film/? ?

First time online!

Short film 1992 - Reality Unfastened

R E A L I T Y
UnFastened

Lance Bowes

In 1992...

I was living in Sydney. It was my first time there. I would be living in Melbourne by years end, but while there, made a short film with friends that I had made overseas, while living in London. A part of my backpacking years.

This is the result.


Technically, pre-digital era, it was still difficult to make a film outside some sort of film school, or production company. Kudos to anyone who has made a film, especially then.

There's some behind the scenes footage which
demonstrates that we had a lot of fun making it.
Shot over a period of a few days. There was a lot of alcohol at night and some drama in trying to get it made.

The lead actor was having liaisons with his female co-star, I believe, though was in a relationship. It caused some problems as you can imagine. Especially as I was living with him and his girlfriend at the time!

There's a shot of me saying to camera, 'its impossible to make this film.' I was joking but I can see that I was a bit stressed.

Mostly though, good memories, and it's still dramatically interesting to see a person's life unravel.

Watch HERE

Filmed in Neutral Bay, Cremorne Point, North Sydney, Sydney CBD including George Street, Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Kings Cross.

What's in a name?

And finally, for the record, if you've watched it and seen the credits, 

my name was Tony Sidebottom then. 

I officially changed it to Langford in 1994. 

Long story made short, a convict named William Langford kept his mother's maiden name after completely his seven year sentence to make a fresh start in 1833. The name was Sidebottom. His crime... stealing a watch.

None of my other family made the switch, though my late grandfather was keen on it. My daughter is a Langford. We're the only ones.

I hope you got something out of the film. I have one more from the vault (plus one from this year, 2018), that I will upload in future.

Cheers


Coming soon,

Some good publishing news

Plus more poetry and videos and....

Born in a Storm - Short Film

Her life, under a cloud.

Her journey, troubled.

It seems that she was ... Born in a Storm.

Finally available to the public.
Been under lock and key all of these years (1994).

This is a slight re-edit with additional music and sound effects.
The original version was an all original soundtrack.

I hope you find it interesting.

Contains serious themes. NOT for children.

Watch

My Books

She was... Born in a Storm

Coming soon...

Born in a Storm

My short film from 1994

A teenager's traumatic journey

My Short Films

New Short Film - First for 14 years

Coming Soon...

(Now available online-see link below)

Despite feeling very ordinary during February, I had an idea for a simple film and went ahead and made it, with daughter in tow. It's very simple, (the polar opposite to my last film Irons from 2004) and only 11 minutes long, but it contains a certain ambiance that works and so I'm making it public.

Well, not actually releasing it, just yet. I've submitted it to a handful of festivals, so I'll wait to hear back first as they prefer not to have their festival films public. At least we can make them public now. Was much tougher back in the day when films that didn't make festivals never have an outlet. Made it very tough on the filmmaker to get noticed.

I have to give credit to my daughter. I didn't know if she could pull it off or not. Best way to do this is to have minimal dialouge but even still... She was great. Very patient I have to say. She also doesn't know what it's all about. I never told her, on purpose. And she hasn't seen it. When you see it, you'll understand why. I wanted it to be just a very normal experience for her. Hopefully she won't hold it against me when she's older!


Coming soon,

My short film from 1994, Born in a Storm.
Plus other short films... Reality Unfastened and Untold.

(Update: All films are now available below).

My Short Films

My Books